


let the shadows fall behind you

by InvitingNonsenseWorld



Series: if we have to say goodbye, can we say hello again? [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cats, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Prostitution, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, M/M, No Apocalypse (Umbrella Academy), No Incest, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Panic Attacks, Past Drug Addiction, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, they all need more hugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-06 02:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18842023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvitingNonsenseWorld/pseuds/InvitingNonsenseWorld
Summary: "It's the power of cats, Ben," Klaus said. "There's too much cuteness to resist."Ben didn't answer him, but by his fond smile, he agreed wholeheartedly with Klaus.Snippets from the same universe of "we can shatter just as fast as glass" from before and after the Apocalypse week as three cats affect the Hargreeves' lives.





	let the shadows fall behind you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More about Klaus and the cats in the same universe as the last fic because I couldn't resist exploring this idea and you guys seemed interested in it. I might update the tags as I write more chapters, we'll see. I have no idea how long this is gonna be, neither the length of the chapters. I suppose I'll keep writing until inspirations runs-out haha
> 
> Hope you all enjoy it!

“This was the last one,” Diego said from somewhere behind Klaus.

There were a thud and the crinkling of a stiff plastic package being pushed against others of the same kind, and Klaus wondered once again how many cat food packages they had bought. They had splurged in their purchases at the pet shop - or, to be fair, Klaus had, and he hadn’t thought to count the amount. None of his siblings had cared, though, and despite it probably being in part because they wanted to make up for their accusations earlier that day, he could see they were genuinely amused by the number of cat things Klaus decided to buy with what would be his inheritance money.

It was delightful to spend Sir Reginald’s money like this, really. Klaus wished he could see the old man’s face as he realized his money was being wasted in silly trinkets for cats and bags upon bags of cat food, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“Thanks, Dee,” Klaus said, pouring more food from the package he had just opened into the large pet bowl on the floor. It was placed by the wall in front of the counters, on the other side of the table, and there was another bowl filled with water beside it.

He closed the package and moved all of them to a corner of the kitchen which he planned on claiming as the cats’ area. The other bags with the random shit he had bought were already there, waiting to be opened and sorted. He stared at them for a few seconds before deciding that could be a chore for later and plopping on a chair.

“You’re going to get those cats fat,” Diego said.

Klaus waved a hand at him. “They’re smart cookies. They’ll know their limits,” he said before remembering that maybe, as used to little food as they were, they would end up overcompensating for the periods in which nourishment was lacking. “But a workout plan wouldn’t hurt.”

“He’s not going to stick to it for longer than two weeks,” Five said, not trying to be conspicuous at all and sharing an amused look with Vanya. She gave a soft giggle.

Klaus made an offended noise. “Excuse you, I’m right here!”

“Well, are you?”

Klaus deflated. “Shut up,” he said. Indeed, an exercising routine like that would become a pain after a while, but he figured it was possible to convince Diego or Allison, maybe even Vanya, to pitch in for him. Nonetheless, he doubted the cats would stay put for too long inside the Academy, so too much food might not be a problem at all. “They could use some more fat anyway.”

“That is true,” Vanya said, glancing between the three cats lounging on top of the table and Klaus. Her eyes betrayed the fact that there was something else in her mind, but her mouth remained resolutely closed. Five put a hand on her shoulder, and she gave him an unsure look.

Klaus drummed his fingers against his leg, resisting the urge to bite his lip.

It was funny the number of things he could notice when he wasn’t high. Thus he found himself torn between making a joke in hopes to get Vanya to speak and backing down to try to make the lightness surrounding him persist for a bit longer. It was clear all his siblings were still sending him looks packed with so many unsaid things, as if they wanted to say more about before but weren’t sure what else to say for now.

He settled for pretending he noticed nothing for the moment.

“Look at you,” Ben said, startling Klaus. He was sitting on the counter, his feet dangling, and despite the all-knowing look in his eyes, he had a soft smile in his face. “All caring and worried about other living beings.”

Klaus slumped against the chair, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh, fuck off.”

He grinned back as Ben sent him a fond look, feeling his chest full. Ben was the most relaxed he had been in a while, and it took a weight Klaus hadn’t even been aware of off his shoulders to see him seem, well, almost proud of Klaus.

Ben was right, though. Klaus actively taking care of three living beings in the proper way had to be quite a view. It was still a weird concept inside his mind, and he had been questioning himself during the past few hours how his life had come to this.

The answer was as evident now as it was unexpected when he took into consideration his previous expectations. Diego had been more wrong than he imagined - it wasn’t Klaus that adopted the cats, but they were the ones who took Klaus under their care, somehow and for some reason. Destiny and cosmic forces or whatever might be behind it, maybe, but what mattered, in the end, was that they stuck around Klaus even in the moments where they gained nothing. It had been the softest bond in Klaus’ life after a long time - or maybe ever because even when they were kids, his relationship with his siblings was always peppered with the fucked up things their father threw upon them.

So the tremendous gratitude, all warm and encompassing and strong, that coursed through his veins when he looked at the cats and thought back, now that he could take a deep breath without his lifestyle bearing down on him, was quick to come. It was curious as hell how cats were the thing to guard him, but considering his life, it made all the sense in the world.

“Whatever Ben said, I agree,” Diego said. He was cutting an apple because, for some reason, Diego would rather wait until they returned to the Academy to eat healthy than get his belly full of delicious waffles.

Klaus gaped at him. “Hey, no ganging up on me!”

Boots chose that moment to meow loudly and raise his paw in the air for a second before putting it back down and staring at Klaus with his head tilted. Vanya, who was sitting closest to where Toby and Boots were perched, laughed.

“I think this one agrees with Diego and Ben,” she said.

And then everyone laughed as Klaus put the back of his _HELLO_ hand against his forehead and said in a faux disheartened voice, “betrayed by my own family! I don’t know if I can ever recover from such a blow. Please, give the mouse plushie toy to Pon-pon, and the noisy thingies to Toby. Boots gets nothing.”

“Drama queen,” Diego muttered.

“Damn right I am,” Klaus cheekily answered, and winked when Diego huffed at him.

“So you’ve given them names,” Five said. Pon-pon was slowly approaching him on the other side of the table, and he was eyeing her with caution. Klaus recognized that tactic - she’d look innocent and uncaring, glancing anywhere but at what was intriguing her, and inch closer until she backed you into a corner and she could inspect you, making you have to pay attention to her. Five seemed to have gotten the gist of the plan as well, and his hands were itching where they were crossed on top of the table, but whether it was to push her away in case she got into his face or to give in and let her sniff him, Klaus had no idea.

Going by Five’s pinched, torn expression, he wasn’t sure either.

There probably weren’t many animals in the post-Apocalyptic world, and Klaus doubted he had gotten into contact with many during his weird whatchamacallit job either. And, well, now that he thought about it, maybe Five had needed the hug just as much as Klaus, and fuck, wasn’t that something?

“That one is Pon-pon,” Klaus said, clearing his throat. Pon-pon glanced at him. “She already didn’t have that eye when I met her. That’s Toby,” he motioned the cat closer to Vanya, “and I also have no idea how he got that scar. He’s sensible there, so be careful if you ever try to pet him there. And this ungrateful traitor is Boots.”

Boots meowed again before strutting towards Klaus to nudge his arm. “Oh, now you’re crawling back to ask for forgiveness, huh?” Klaus asked. He bopped Boots’ nose, making him sneeze and glance at him with wide eyes as if shocked by the retaliation. Before Klaus knew it, Boots dove into his arms and tried to climb over him and paw at his face, leaving Klaus to splutter.

“Alright, you-” Klaus pulled Boots to his lap. Immediately, he settled down and curled up. He only looked up to hiss when Klaus tried to pet him. “Fine, okay. No petting.”

“You’re their favorite cushion, Klaus, remember?” Ben asked, all too amused, and Klaus sent him an exasperated look. “And cushions are not supposed to move.”

“I’m gonna demand a raise. They’re picky little assholes,” Klaus said.

“Didn’t you say they’re sweethearts earlier today?” Diego asked, biting into the apple with a crunching noise. He rose an eyebrow.

“Ah, that too.”

Diego snorted. He turned around to fetch a glass of orange juice, but his soft smile gave him away.

What a view this whole thing was. Being at the Academy without the looming presence of their father, having a friendly chat with his siblings and surrounded by his cats. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine this would happen - that he’d get to make a safe place for the cats inside the Academy, a warm shelter for whenever they felt like passing by.

It was weird, in a pleasant way, and it made a ball of emotion climb up his throat, threatening to steal his breath away.

(The conversation they all had earlier that day was still fresh inside his mind, as well as the slight hysteria and the raw bareness clamped on his skin and the resurfacing memories. For now, though, they were tamed, and Klaus would pretend they were nonexistent for /as long as possible.)

“They’re getting along well with them,” Ben said, amused. Pon-pon was back to approaching Five, who was sending her and Klaus unsure glances, and Vanya watching as Toby stretched with a soft look.

“It’s the power of cats, Ben,” Klaus said. “There’s too much cuteness to resist.”

Ben didn’t answer him, but by his fond smile, he agreed wholeheartedly with Klaus. Five and Diego denied it immediately, but Vanya gave Toby a soft grin, and he knew she was a goner. He wondered how long it’d take her to dare pet one of them, but then again, maybe one of them would take matters into their tiny paws.

All of them still had some getting used to each other before, though. Free little things as they were, Pon-pon, Toby and Boots were always wary of strangers crowding them, and after some of the things Klaus had witnessed at his flings’ and date’s homes, it was understandable.

Klaus himself wasn’t entirely above feeling like he was walking on a tightrope with the rope about to snap and doom him at any second.

It was a work in progress.

At least, now he had his siblings to back him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a slow beginning, but this was more of an introduction to this series anyway. This are going to pick up a bit more next chapter! Still not sure if I'll make it be Allison and Luther finding out about the cats or something with Ben. We'll see haha
> 
> Thoughts? :)


End file.
